The Kingdom of the Wicked
Encyclopedia
The Kingdom of the Wicked is a 1985 historical novel
by Anthony Burgess
.
Like two of his earlier works, the long narrative poem Moses
and the novel Man of Nazareth
(together these books make up what has been referred to as his biblical or religious trilogy), Burgess wrote The Kingdom of the Wicked in part as preparation for a screenplay; in this case for the
television series A.D.
and its interaction with the Roman Empire
is told largely chronologically by a narrator slowly succumbing to disease during the reign of Domitian
.
The story starts where Man of Nazareth ended, immediately after the crucifixion
of Jesus
, and covers the work of the apostles, in particular Paul
(who himself was not one of the original twelve apostles), the development of Christianity as an Abrahamic religion separate from Judaism
, the Great Fire of Rome, the persecution of Christians, the destruction of the Second Temple
, and the destruction of Pompeii
.
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
by Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
.
Like two of his earlier works, the long narrative poem Moses
Moses: A Narrative
Moses is a 1976 narrative poem by Anthony Burgess of 200-plus pages in length, part of his religious or Biblical trilogy, the other components of the trilogy being The Kingdom of the Wicked and Man of Nazareth....
and the novel Man of Nazareth
Man of Nazareth
Man of Nazareth is a historical novel by Anthony Burgess based on his screenplay for Franco Zeffirelli's TV miniseries Jesus of Nazareth...
(together these books make up what has been referred to as his biblical or religious trilogy), Burgess wrote The Kingdom of the Wicked in part as preparation for a screenplay; in this case for the
television series A.D.
Plot summary
The story of the birth of ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and its interaction with the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
is told largely chronologically by a narrator slowly succumbing to disease during the reign of Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
.
The story starts where Man of Nazareth ended, immediately after the crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, and covers the work of the apostles, in particular Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
(who himself was not one of the original twelve apostles), the development of Christianity as an Abrahamic religion separate from Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, the Great Fire of Rome, the persecution of Christians, the destruction of the Second Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
, and the destruction of Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
.